Straight-knitting machine



(No Model.)

. F. WILCOMB.

STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINE.

Pateted June 18, 1889.

nlll l 4E Y gf UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ILCOMB, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE WIL- Y COMB MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

STRAIGHT-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,637, dated I une 18, 1839. Application filed February 29, i888. Serial No. 265,725. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: needles. Fig. a is a longitudinal section of Be it known that I, FRANK IVILCOMB, of Fig. l., Fig. al. is a perspective view of the Providence, in the county of Providence and hand-operating device. Figs. and 6 are de- State of Rhode Island, have invented a new tail views of means by which needles may be 5 and useful Improvement in Straight-Knitting removed from the slide-bar.

Machines; and I do hereby declare that the The ordinary slide-bar of straight latchfollowing is a full, clear, and exact descripneedle knitting-machines is shown at A, and tion of the same. this stands for any suitable support for my im- The invention which is the subject of the proved cam This movable cani is shown 6o ro following specification has been made by me on both sides of a iixed part, and the longifor the purpose of providing means for opertudinal groove for the needle-heels in the ating the needles of a knitting-machine forcams is shown at l) I), and those of the fixed ward beyond the sinkers or backward into part are shown at 7 7 on each side of the normal position independently of the moveordinary V-cam. These grooves are of the 15 ment of the needles in the operation of knitsame width, and are always in connection ting, the backward and forward movements with each other, either in direct line, as contemplated in thisinvention being designed shown on the right of the V-cam in Fig. l, to expose the needles and render them accesor obliquely, as shown on the left. sible, when the work is to be mended or a par- The cams B are moved by means of a slide- 7oV zo tially-knitted fabric is to be placed thereon, plate C, which lies in a recess in the under or when the fashioning of the work is to be side of the slide-bar and above the cams B. done either by hand or automatically7 as con- These cams move obliquely across the face of templated by me in United States Patent the slide-bar, being guided by ways 11,which granted me October 12, 1886, No. 350,795. are fixed to the under face of the slide-bar 25 The improvement hereinafter described and fit into grooves in the upper face of the also provides for the easy movement of the cams.- `W hen lateral pressure is put upon needles and their ready manipulation and for the cams, their ways direct them accurately the ready removal of defective needles withand obliquely to one side, according to the inout disarranging or removing any of the opclination of the ways. The cams are held in 8c 3o erating parts of the machine. place by their rabbeted ends 9 extending un- I have shown my invention in connection der like rabbets S on the slide-bar; but the with a straight latch needle knitting-maconnections may be by bevels, or in any other chine, but it is not necessarily confined way which will hold the Vparts snugly in slidl thereto. ing connection. Motion laterallyis imparted 3 5 The main feature of the invention consists to the cams by means of the slide C through ofanovel construction ofswitch-cam,whereby grooves or slots l2, cut therein at right anthe groove for the needle-heels is maintained gles to the ways Il. Pins set in the cams of uniform width throughout without regard carry blocks 13, which fit in the grooves or to the relative positions of the movable and slots 12, and when the plate C is moved the 9o 4o fixed parts of the cam. slots or grooves therein give awedging action It also consists in mechanism for moving upon the cams through the blocks and pins and the cam and in mechanism for moving the force these cams laterally and with ease. The needles, all as hereinafter more fully exends of the cams are in lines parallel to these plained. lateral lines of movement on the slide-bar. 45 The accompanying drawings show the form This keeps them in bearing-connection with I in which I have embodied my invention. the plates d at their ends; but on the inner Figure l is a bottom view of the slide-bar, ends, which abut upon the cam containing the my improved device being shown in. place iixed part of the needle -path,aspecialprovisthereupon. Fig. 2 is a transverse section ion is made tor the purpese indicated above, ico

l 5o through the slide-bars and cam-plate, showfor preserving uniformity of width in the ing the upper ends of the sinker-bars and two needle-groove. For this purpose the inclined f Io ends of the cams above and below the needle path or `groove b are in different though parallel planes. The part below the needle-path (looking at Fig. l) is in advance of the part above a distance about equal to the width of the groove h. The abutting edges c c of the fixed part are also each in two different vertical planes, and are reversely arranged to correspond to the inclined ends of the cams. As these inclined ends are in lines parallel with the guides ll, the ends of the'cam move in contact with the inclines c c; but as the cam advances an inclined groove opens out, connecting the straight parts of the groove in the fixed and movable parts, in length corresponding to the amount of advance of the cam. Thus the groove in which the needle-heels move is always of the same width,the needles are accurately guided, and there can be no wabbling. This inclined portion of the groove is represented between the lines a; y, Fig. l. The heels of the needles being of less depth than the depth of the grooves, the rabbets on the cams do not tend to lessen the width of the grooves in the movement of the cams. The inclination of the groove also renders the movement of the needles easy in changing their position, and they are held accurately when confined in the groove of the switch-cam and the bar is reciprocating across the rows of needles.

The slide-plate C is provided with means for operating it back and forth, consisting of a stud set in the'end of the plate and having a milled head D. The stud moves in a slot in the slide-bar, as shown in Figs. l, 3, and 4.

l/Vhen the knitting-machine is running and the knitting is being carried on without fashioning, it is of course necessary th at the switchcam be securely held in normal position to the slide-bar A, in order that as said bar moves the switch-cam will move properly with it, as though fixed rigidly to it, and thus act upon the needles. For this purpose the sliding plate C, which is employed to operate the switchcam diagonally of the slide-bar A, is provided with a stud which projects up through an opening in the end of the bar A. This stud carries a thumb-wheel D, which has formed with its hub a flange or plate f. The plate projects over the upper surface of the bar A on one side. It has a notch e, Fig. et, into which is adapted to lit a spring-detent l5, which is secured to the bar A. The switchcam is held in normal and fixed position relatively to the slide-bar A, when the detent is in engagement with the notch, through the plate f, the stud, and the slide-plate C; and in the reciprocation of the bar, while the machine is running, the switch-cam will be held in proper place, and thus the needles'will be properly acted upon. Vhen it is desired that the switch-cam be moved in its relation to the slide-bar to effect the forward and backward movement of the needles independently of the knitting action for exposing them, or in fashioning, it is only necessary to give the thumbwheel D a partial turn and disen gage the notch from the detent, and then the sliding plate can be moved either forward or backward and the switch-cam properly shifted.

To allow the operator to withdraw any needle, a removable key 2O is fitted into a lateral groove opening from the groove 7, or that of the switch-cam, as in 6, to the edge. The key is held by the head of a screw 2l, cut down on one side to allow the key to pass without removing the screw entirely.

If the key is in the switch-cam, the seat is preferably cut at an angle parallel to the inclined end of the cam, and is held bya screw 22, Fig. 2, set in a slot cut transversely in the slide-bar.

The key 23 is shown in Figs. 2 and 6, from the latter of which it will be seen that it eX- tends from the groove in the switch-cam to the edge thereof and parallel with the inclined end 2i, Fig. G. By making the key-seat inclined the needles can be more readily removed by giving the bar a slight longitudinal movement. The needle which is in engagement therewith will be forced out by contact with the inclined side of the seat. The slidebar is slotted at 25 to receive the holdingscrew 22, the slot being provided to allow the switch-cam to shift laterally across the bar. When needles are to be removed, the screw 22 is taken out, and the key 23 is then withdrawn from its seat, and by moving the bar so as to bring the open seat in line with any needle said needles may be withdrawn through the opening. I have shown the switch-cam and the various details of construction and operating parts on both sides of the central needle-paths 7 7; but as these switch-cams,

details of construction, and operating parts` l. ln combination, the slide-bar, a fixed part of the needle-path having the inclined edge, the inclined guides, the cam movable on the inclined guides having a longitudinal groove and formed with its end adjacent to the fixed part of the needlepath also inclined, and mechanism for moving the movable cam, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the slide-bar, a fixed part of the needle-path having the inclined edge, the inclined guides, the cam movable on the inclined guides having a longitudinal groove and formed with its end adjacent to the fixed part of the needle-path also inclined, the parts of said inclined end above and below the needle-path being in differentbut parallel planes, and mechanism for moving the movable cam, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the slide-bar, the fixed part of the cam of a knitting-machine having a needle-path 7 7 and inclined edges, the parts of which above and below the needle-path are in different but parallel planes, and cams B B, having longitudinal grooves b and inclined IOO ends corresponding` to the edges of the Xed part, and means for moving` the cams B, all substantially as described.

4. In combination With the slide-bar A and the switch-cam, the slide C, and stud D, a segmental notched plate f, fixed `to the stud D and projecting over the upper surface of the bar A on one side of its slot, and a spring-detent arranged to hold the slide-plate C and cam in normal position in relation to the slidebar A, all as set forth.

scribing Witnesses.

FRANK WILCOMB. Witn esses:

GEO. L. BARNES, GEO. R. WILSON. 

